​The D-Man and I returned from a wonderful eight day vacation in Wisconsin last week. He proclaimed it was his best Wisconsin vacation ever and I have to agree, it was wonderful. We balanced time between Summerfest on the Milwaukee lakefront, the music festival I have been attending since I was nine years old (11 days, over 800 bands), a stay in Sheboygan at the Blue Harbor Resort and lazy days in small towns like Port Washington and Cedarburg. The biggest lesson? Vacation is NOT optional! It is a necessity! An eight day break from work, stress and emails brought both of us back more refreshed and ready to face the world! In addition to that important lesson, there were some things I discovered that just made the whole trip that much better!

PROPER SHOES MAKE THE VACATIONI bought these Aerosoles last December in Las Vegas at the Outlet Mall. The shoe store was going out of business and I paid under 10.00 for them. The color was crazy and I really forgot about them until the recent heat wave, but I decided to take them along. The surprising thing was that even though the color is loud as can be, they went with a lot of my shorts and skirts. The best thing was they felt like I was wearing slippers! They really came in handy the day we walked all over the picturesque town of Cedarburg, Wisconsin. The D-Man's phone app said we had walked five miles and my feet felt like we had walked around the block.

LOVE THE ONE YOU ARE WITHSpeaking of Cedarburg, we really enjoyed a couple of afternoons we spent there. I have done wine tasting in Napa Valley and Northern California and yes, the wine is fabulous and it is a great experience! But I also enjoyed the wine tasting we did at the Cedar Creek Winery. I found a Strawberry Blush that is a great summer drink. Right next door was a crepe restaurant that had the best turkey crepes I have ever had in my life! The morale of this story? Anywhere you vacation has great places you can discover and enjoy. It doesn't have to be the "it" place to be a great place.

THE SAME OLD ISN'T THE SAMEI mentioned I have been going to Summerfest since I was nine years old, missing only a couple of years. Every year they improve the stages, the sound and the food. In addition, they add fun activities. Walking around the grounds one day, I saw they were giving free boat rides around the lake in a speed boat. So off the D-Man and I went for a really fun thirty minute ride, where I snapped the picture at the left in the middle of Lake Michigan. It was a lot of fun and a new addition to something I have been going to for most of my life.

So if you haven't taken some time away this summer, take my advice and do it! No matter what your budget or where you live, take the time to recharge! Your co-workers and family will notice the difference.